Clinging to my gods and my guns while I chronicle the demise of western civilization from my bunker deep in the woods of northern Canada.

Thursday, 12 December 2013

What the Hell Happened To the Concept of Safe Sex?

What the hell happened to safe sex? Responsibility? Have people learned
nothing? Apparently not in Vancouver where health officials are calling the
current syphilis rate in Metro Vancouver an epidemic. Indeed, across Canada a
disease that was once rare has exploded over the last few years but no where
more so then in Vancouver's gay community.

Yes, you heard that right. The gay community. The community that has been
devastated by HIV and AIDS have syphilis rates of epidemic proportions. And
sadly, these are the numbers that they are seeing. The real number of cases will
be higher.

But here is the real frightening phenonema that is not being reported. Where
there is an increase in one kind of sexually transmitted disease there is an
increase in others and many, like HIV, often go undetected for years. Indeed,
studies show that 1 in 5, that is 20%, of sexually active gay and bisexual men
have HIV and of that number fully 50% of them do not know it.

In 2012, there were 371 cases reported in B.C., most of those with the
disease were gay and bisexual men.
A new campaign is warning gay and bisexual men that syphilis rates are at
epidemic proportions in the Lower Mainland. Nov. 18, 2013. (Vancouver Coastal
Health)

The sexually transmitted disease is highly contagious.

If left untreated, syphilis can lead to blindness, hearing loss, neurological
problems and in severe cases can be fatal.

Vancouver Coastal Health launched the campaign to urge people in gay and
bisexual communities to get tested regularly and practise safe sex.

The cheeky Internet and poster campaign focuses on Vancouver trends such as
French bulldogs, dating apps and syphilis rates at a 30-year high.

Several community agencies work with gay and bisexual men, including Health
Initiative for Men, or HIM, and Positive Living B.C.

Jody Jollimore, program manager for Health Initiative for Men, said the
campaign educates men in a way that reflects their lives.

"We know that gay and bisexual men care about their sexual health and when
given access to appropriate information, (they) make healthier choices,"
Jollimore said in a news release.

Glen Doupe, an outreach team leader for the B.C. Centre for Disease Control,
said people need to get tested regularly because they have may the disease and
not know it.
"Syphilis spreads easily through any form of sexual contact so people also
need to be more knowledgeable about safe sex practices."

B.C. isn't the only province to see a spike in the number of syphilis
cases.

Statistics show that in 2010 there were more than 1,750 cases in Canada, up
from the 177 in 1993.